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Baloon plant (Asclepias physocarpa) English Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Queen (Danaus gilippus)

Asclepias physocarpa: The Whimsical Balloon Plant Beneficial to Monarchs and More

Botanical Description:

Asclepias physocarpa, commonly known as the Balloon Plant or Hairy Balls Milkweed, stands out with its unique balloon-like seed pods, covered in soft spines, giving it its whimsical name.

What seem like very normal, and beautiful, Milkweed flowers becomes Big Hairy Balls.

The plant can grow up to 6 feet tall, adorned with narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Small, fragrant white flowers with a tinge of pink appear in clusters, later giving way to the distinctive inflated seed pods.

Benefit to Monarch Butterflies:

Like other milkweeds, the Balloon Plant is a magnet for Monarch butterflies. It serves as a crucial host plant, providing a place for female Monarchs to lay their eggs. Once the caterpillars hatch, they feed on the plant’s leaves, ingesting compounds that make them unpalatable to predators.

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